I must admit I’m a bit perplexed by this situation. As a Catholic on a Caucus thread I feel it’s alright to raise this slight concern. Wasn’t there a report of a relative of St. Pio that expressed a desire to leave his remains undisturbed? I am loathe to question the Church’s decision on anything, but was this relative’s concerns addressed when this decision was made? I would hope that someone at least talked to him/her before this was done. IOW, in the case of Saints who have passed on centuries ago, and have no living relatives anymore, the public display of such remains wouldn’t be an issue, but if, say, a relative of mine was canonized, and the Church wanted to put his/her remains on display, I would hope that someone would consult me first, at least.

Does anyone know anything about this case? Were there such concerns raised by a “relative”? If so, was this person consulted and/or reassured in some way?

Perhaps that’s what struck me as odd, that his life was relatively recent. Not a principled dispute; I’m just the kind of person who can’t stand medical shows or visits to the hospital and prefer to think of our departed in spirit.